Terence’s comedy Adelphoe, details a generational conflict that entwines a pair of father
and sons. This conflict concerns two fathers, the strict Demea and nicer Micio, and
Demea’s sons, Aeschinus, who is adopted by Micio, and Ctesipho. Conflict arises as
Demea and Micio, debate between their polar opposite parenting styles, and which one is
the superior, especially when considering punishment, and which son has turned out better.
The plot and characters serve to represent the conflict as the plot provides moments for the
characters to respond to certain issues, revealing key characterization opportunities that
shed light on which parent is more successful. The plot and characters also introduce
humor with the use of dramatic irony. Word choice, particularly in the monologues and
dialogue, is useful in shaping the way the characters are negatively or positively seen, and
how opinions of them are shifted, as more information and characterization is given.
Dialogue provides humor as the reader follows characters like Demea through his
interactions with others, to gradually realize what kind of person his son actually is. The
beginning and ending monologues are humorous as they vary greatly from what Demea
and Micio initially believed. The generational conflict is resolved at the end of the play, as
Demea realizes that the best type of parenting is a compromise in which he both learns
how to best raise his son, and how to teach others to be good parents as well.
The plot of the play is key in characterizing what the family members do when in pressing
situations. Although there are the traditional and familiar characterizations of stock
characters who include the relaxed and strict older men, and a wasteful son, Terence
temporarily acknowledges these generalizations, to go forward and deviate from these
generic descriptions. For example, Aeschinus is initially characterized as the sloppy son
who does not care for anything else except for his own indulgences. Although at first it
appears that he has taken a slave girl for himself, it is revealed that Aeschinus bought this
girl for his brother, Ctesipho, who provides a totally alternate view of Aeschinus. Ctesipho
happily proclaims that “nowhere is there anyone else with a brother so superior in every
conceivable skill” (Ter. Ad 258-259), because Aeschinus has put his reputation on the line,
so that Ctesipho’s would remain untarnished. Although Aeschinus has been characterized
as indulgent and lazy, his actions with Ctesipho show instead what a considerate and
